BRZ STI Sport (JDM)
 

Not bad, the flipping and flopping around of camera angles gave me a bit of a headache, lol. Maybe I’m getting old.

Main specifications of STI Sport grade
 

Suspension/mechanism
・STI tuning Hitachi Astemo SFRD front damper
・STI tuning rear shocks
・215/40R18 high performance tires & 18-inch alloy wheels (dark metallic)
・Brembo 17-inch front and rear ventilated disc brakes (gold calipers, factory-installed option)

exterior
・Full LED headlights (with "BRZ" cherry red letter mark)
・Power-folding remote control door mirrors (crystal black silica)
・Roof antenna (shark fin type, crystal black silica)
・STI emblem (front & rear)

interior
・BOXER meter (Bordeaux ring decoration, STI logo included)
・Ultra suede genuine leather seat (black/Bordeaux, red stitching + black accents + STI logo)
・Shift area decoration (dark cast metallic)
・Heater control dial & switch ( dark cast metallic)
・push engine switch (with STI logo, red type)
・meter visor & door trim shoulder pad (Blanc Nove leather wrapped with red stitching)

Will it come with globs of matching red RTV getting sucked into the engine? :-)

Big Brembos have to be red... gold just doesn't do it for me. But I do like the red seatbacks.

17" brakes on 18" wheels? I'm calling BS on that one....

They mean Brembo brakes will require at least a 17" wheel.

Sensitive Frequency Response Damper (SFRD)
 

The sensitive frequency response damper (SFRD) improves ride comfort without sacrificing handling stability by changing the oil flow channel according to road conditions and mechanically adjusting the damping force. In recent years, the rapid expansion of electrification and automation in vehicles has increased the demand for ride comfort and quietness, while cost reductions are being sought for existing products, including suspension products, as vehicle development costs increase in the automotive industry. Amid such circumstances, Hitachi developed a high value-added product featuring excellent cost competitiveness and performance with a mechanical variable damping force piston structure that is positioned between semi-active and conventional control.

In this development, the company changed the fixing method of components from the conventional screw fastening to roll-clinch closing, eliminating screw machining, and changed the component material to achieve a more compact size and lighter weight in addition to significant cost reduction. Moreover, the product maintains the same level of performance as the current product without loss, resulting in a highly competitive, high-value-added product that achieves both performance and cost at a high level.
(Hitachi Astemo, Ltd.)

A smart damper that does two things in one (simpler explanation)
 

There are electronically controlled and mechanical mechanisms for changing the damping force, but the Hitachi Astemo SFRD used in the BRZ STI Sport is mechanical. Compared to electronically controlled systems, they have the advantage of having a simpler mechanism, reducing weight, and reducing costs.

The SFRD contains two hydraulic paths inside the cylinder, one for small strokes (high frequency vibration) and one for large strokes (low frequency vibrations), and these are connected by a room called a pressure chamber. When the pressure chamber is not filled, a small stroke path is activated, eliminating small bumps and providing a high-quality ride. When you start driving on a winding road and a larger load is applied and the pressure chamber is filled with oil, the large stroke path is activated. By preparing two paths to ensure comfort in the small stroke range, the damping force can be set even harder in the large stroke range, allowing crisp steering operation at the driver's will.

Seems like a cheap-out for Subaru to put these SFRDs on the front end but not on the back....

Looks like this version is mechanically the same as the tS in North America?

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a4...z-ts-revealed/

It looks like Subaru is using a similar setup in the JDM Forester STI Sport:

https://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-ne...handle-better/

My understanding is the 2024 Australian tS spec is similar to the JDM STi spec, with the exception of tS badging instead of STi. That includes the interior treatment with the bordeux accented seats etc. The North American spec is slightly different, I think, with blue accented interior and seats.

Those sound a lot like the Koni FSD dampers. Had those on an older Golf, and liked them a lot.

-Mike

The 2024 model 3 highland will come with “FSD” style dampers from the factory, I could see this being a factory trend in the near future.